Banjo



(No Model.) v

O. R. CHASE.

BANJO.

Patented Dec. 19, 1882.

Fig-2- INVENTEIR fiafi'm. /&* CAM WITNEEEEE WA 7: M1

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OLIVER R. CHASE, (IFBOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 269,178, dated December19, 1882.

Application filed August 9, 1882.

. To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OLivER 1t. CHASE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Banjos and otherSimilar Musical Instruments; and I do hereby declare the following to bea full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same, reference being had to the. accompanying drawings, and to thelet ters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part ofthis specification.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a top plan view of a banjo embodyingmyinvention. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the head or body of a banjo,showing my improvement. Figs. 3, 4:, and 5 are sectional views, indetail, of the metal rim or ring, showing modifications thereof.

The present invention has relation to certain new and usefulimprovements in that class of banjos and other like musical instrumentshaving the body or head thereof formed of metal.

Previous to my invention the entire body or head of the instrument, or,in other words, the face, back, and rim, were composed of sheet metal;or a wooden rim was provided, to which a metal stretcher-hoop wasattached for securing thereto the parchment head. It is also common toconstruct the rim of banjos from both wood and metal combined, theinterior of the rim consisting of a wooden hoop having upon its outsidea metal band, to the upper edge of which is secured a metal ring for theattachment of the parchment head, the ring having two(lownwardly-projecting flanges, the outer one serving as a means ofattachment to the metal band, while the inner flange extends down insidethe rim free from all parts of the instrument, so as to be capableofunrestrained vibration.

It is the object of my invention to improve the construction of theabove class of musical instrument, whereby its strength, brilliancy, andresonance of tone are greatly increased, which objects I attain by theconstruction substantially as shown in the drawings and here inafterdescribed and claimed.

(X0 model.)

In the accompanyingdrawings, Arepresents the metal ring or rim of abanjo, of any suitable thickness, width, and diameter, and has one orboth of its edges curved inwardly and preferably in a downwarddirection, as shown.

Over the curved edge of the ring or rim A is secured the parchment headB in any suitable manner, the parchment being preferably held in placeby a metal band or stretcherhoop, (J, and any usual clamps, D, in theordinary manner.

The handle E of the banjo or the fingerboard is secured in any suitablemanner to the outer side or periphery of the ring or rim A, and does notextend through the ring or rim from one side thereof to the other, ashas been usually the practice. The handle or fingerboard E has stretchedover it the usual strings, F,supported from contact with the parchmenthead B by the bridge G in the ordinary man ner.

I have shown the metal ring or rim A with either one or both edgescurved; but I prefer to construct it substantially as shown in Fig. l ofthe drawings; but the same effect in a less degree can be obtained byhaving one only of the edges curved and theopposite edge straight, ornearly so, as in Figs. 3 and 5,in which case the iiarclnnent head can beplaced on either the curved or uncurved edges.

The ring or rim is formed from a single piece of metal, with its curvededge or edges, there being no separate pieces or flanged ring to attachto the edge of the rim over which the parchment head is secured, or nowood comes in contact with the metal rim, such as the usual wooden hoopemployed to form a part of the It will be seen that nothing whatever,either of wood or metal, comes in contact with the ring or rim thatwould be considered a disturbing element in the harmony of theinstrument, and the rim, with its curved edge or edges, beingconstructed from a single piece of metal, not only increases thesonorousness and resonance of tone, but gives greater strength to thebody of the banjo, as well as adding to the durability of theinstrument.

The rim or ring may be either plain or ornamental, and, if desired, haveperforations through it, thus decreasing the weight of the having therim or ring thereof formed from a instrument and enabling the sound toescape single piece of metal, with one or both edges through theperforations. curved inwardly, substantially as shown, and

Having now fully described my invention, for the purpose specified. r5 5what I claim as new, and desire to secure by In testimony whereof Iaffix my signature in Letters Patent, ispresence of two witnesses.

1. A banjo or other musical instrument having its rim formed wholly ofmetal, with its edge or edges curved inwardly, substantially Witnesses:4 10 as and for the purpose set forth. WM. B. H. DowsE,

S. A banjo or other analogous instrument HERBERT OQOLIDGE.

()LI VER 1t. CHASE.

